cleaned, and, as I never neglected my duty, I set off
about three o'clock in the morning, just at break of day, to go on board
of the ship. I was walking along the sands, thinking of the pretty girl
I'd been dancing with, and had got about half-way to the ship, when
three rapparees of Spanish soldiers come from behind a rock, and
attacked me with their swords and bayonets. I had only my dirk, but I
was not to be run through for nothing, so I fought them as long as I
could, I finished one fellow, but at last they finished me; for a
bayonet passed through my body, and I forgot all about it. Well, it
appears--for I can only say to the best of my knowledge and belief--that
after they had killed me, they stripped me naked and buried me in the
sand, carrying away with them the body of their comrade. So there I
was--dead and buried."

"But, O'Brien--" said I.

"Whist--hold your tongue--you've not heard the end of it. Well, I had
been buried about an hour--but not very deep it appears, for they were
in too great a hurry--when a fisherman and his daughter came along the
beach, on their way to the boat; and the daughter, God bless her! did me
the favour to tread on my nose. It was clear that she had never trod
upon an Irishman's nose before, for it surprised her, and she looked
down to see what was there, and not seeing anything, she tried it again
with her foot, and then she scraped off the sand, and discovered my
pretty face. I was quite warm and still breathing, for the sand had
stopped the blood, and prevented my bleeding to death. The fisherman
pulled me out and took me on his back to the house where the captain and
officers were still dancing. When he brought me in, there was a great
cry from the ladies, not because I was murdered, for they are used to it
in those countries, but because I was naked, which they considered a
much more serious affair. I was put to bed, and a boat despatched on
board for our doctor; and in a few hours I was able to speak, and tell
them how it happened. But I was too ill to move when the ship sailed,
which she was obliged to do in a day or two afterwards, so the captain
made out my discharge, and left me there. The family were French, and I
remained with them for six months before I could obtain a passage home,
during which I learnt their language, and a very fair allowance of
Spanish to boot. When I arrived in England, I found that the prizes had
been sold, and that the money was